Barrel-catch device for revolvers



(No Model.) v

D. B. WESSON.

BARREL CATCH DEVICE FOR REVOLVERS; I

No. 377,877 Patented Ieb. 14, 1888.

N, PETERS. Phowulhognpher. Wishington. m;

3 UNITED STATES PATENT DANIEL B. WESSON, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

BARREL=CATCH DEVICE FOR REVOLVERS SPECIFICATION forming part of LettersPatent No. 377.877, dated February 14, 1888.

Application filed October 10, 1887. Serial No. 251,900. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, DANIEL B. Wesson, a. citizen of the United States,residing at Springfield, in the county of Hampden and State ofMassachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in RevolvingFire-Arms, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to revolving fire-arms, and pertains toimprovements in'barrel-catch mechanism therefor; and the inventionconsists in the peculiar construction and arrangement of the parts ofthe above-referred-to mechanism, all as hereinafter fully described, andpointed out in the claim.

In the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure l is aperspective view of a portion of the frame of a revolving fire-arm andof the rear end of the barrel-strap embodying barrel-catch devicesconstructed according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective View of aportion of said frame disconnected from said barrel-strap. Fig. 3 is asectional perspective view of the rear end of the barrelstrap. Fig. 4 isa perspective view of the catch-dog which is pivoted in said strap. Allof said figures are drawn on an enlarged scale.

The object of this invention is to provide an improved catch-dog for thebarrel-strap of the arm,which will automatically engage with the rearside of the catch-post when the arm is closed, and which is soconstructed and pivoted in said strap that it is convenientlymanipulated by the fingers and without the use of a lever to disengageit from said post, so that the arm may be opened.

In the drawings, 3 indicates a part of the upper portion of the frame ofa revolving firearm at the rear of the cylinder, and 4 is the catch-postprojecting upwardly on the top of said frame. A suitable recess isformed in the rear side of said catch-post to produce a shoulder, 5, ornotch,with which a catch-dog below described may engage to lock the armin a closed position.

The barrel'strap 6 is the well-known extension from the rear end of thebarrel of a revolver over the cylinder to the frame 3 at the rear of thelatter, and said strap has a perforation, 7, through it near itsextremity, which receives the said catch-post 4 when the arm is shut, asshown in Fig. 1. Just back of said perforation 7 in the barrel-strap,and opening into a portion of the rear side of said perforation, arecess or chamber, 8, is formed to receive said catch-dog. The inclinedportions 9 of the rear side of said perforation 7 come to a firm bearingagainst theinclined rear side of the catch-post when the arm is closedand serve to draw the barrel up to proper position. the rear side of theperforation 7 is shown in the drawings. (See Fig. 3.)

The catch-dog 9(shown in Fig. 4 and'in operative position in Fig. 1) inthe barrel-strap 6 is pivoted by the pin 10 in said chamber 8. Said doghas an engaging edge or tooth, 12, across the side thereof adjoining therear side of the catch-post perforation 7,which engages with said notch5 in the rear side of the catchpost when the arm is closed, as in Fig.1, a spring, 13, behind the dog acting to swing the upper end of thelatter toward said post. Two laterally-projecting arms or finger-pieces,14, are formed on the upper end of the dog 9, whose ends are roughenedor checked, and said dog is fitted into the end of the barrelstrap, asshown in Fig. 1.

In operating said barrel-catch devices to open the arm the checked ends14 of the catchdog are grasped between the finger and thumb, and bypulling directly backward the upper end of the dog is caused to swingaway from the catch-post, thereby drawing the tooth 12' thereof out ofengagement with said post and leaving the arm free to be opened. Whenthe dog is again freed, the spring 13 swings it forward, so that whenthe arm is closed the catchdog again engages with the post 4 and holdsit locked, the spring 13 serving to retain the dog in said lockedposition.

What I claim as my invention is Barrel-catch devices for revolvingfire-arms, consisting of the combination, with the catchpost of the arm,having a notch, 5, in its rear side, of the barrel-strap 6, having aperforation to receive said catch-post, a catch-dog pivoted in saidstrap at one side of said perfo-- ration capable of engaging with saidnotched Only one of said inclined portions of post, and havinglaterally-projecting finger- DANIEL B. IVESSON.

\Vitnesses:

H. A. CHAPIN, G. M. CHAMBERLAIN.

IOU

